Communication is at the Heart of Valentines Day

Love and romance are
healthy elements of happy relationships and they are key to
Family Planning work this Valentines Day.

Family Planning
Executive Director, Dr Gill Greer says at the heart of
relationships is communication and she is reminding couples
to take time to talk and spend some quality time together on
Valentines Day tomorrow.

To remind New Zealanders that
taking time to sustain their relationships is important,
Family Planning has organised a series of events throughout
the country concentrating on the proposition “love
is…..”

Family Planning health promoters are running a
competition for people to complete the sentence “love is….”
and they will be out and about in many areas including
Whangarei, Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Hawkes Bay, New
Plymouth, Palmerston North, Wellington, Marlborough and
Dunedin, highlighting positive relationships.

Family
Planning health promoters will be giving out Whittakers
chocolates and working with provincial radio stations and
other media to promote the value of a little romance in a
relationship. Through generous sponsorship, Family Planning
has a number of Valentines Day gift packages to give away
that include gift baskets and dinner vouchers.

Dr Greer
says good communication contributes to healthy relationships
and if these Valentines Day activities get people talking
more to each other, then that is a good thing.

“If the
relationship is sexual, then ensuring both partners are safe
is vital. This means having a Sexually Transmitted
Infection (STI) check if either partner has had unprotected
sex with another person.

“Our advice is don’t have sex
with anyone until you know they do not have an STI.”

Dr
Greer says while some couples may feel awkward initiating
this conversation, it is an important part of building a
positive relationship where people have respect for each
other.

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